Craft propulsion



April 20, 1948. H. M. DOBBINS CRAFT PROPULSION Filed Aug 20, 1946 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

flOfi/ICZM 00551449,

- TTORNEY H. M. Dossms CRAFT PROPULSION April 20, 1948.

- Filed Aug. 20, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1948 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRAFT PROPULSION Horace M. Dobbins, Pasadena, Calif.

Application August 20, 1946, Serial No. 691,758

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to rotary airfoils for propulsion and stabilization of water craft, ice boats and the like, and is more particularly directed to improvements in the mounting and controls of the rotors in such installations.

An object of the invention is the provision of a. simple and eflicient mounting fOr a rotor operatively disposed normally in a horizontal but capable of being moved at the will of the operator from the horizontal through various angles to said horizontal until the plane of the rotor is lo cated Vertically.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rotor adjustably mounted on a mast for use as a gyroscopic element for aiding in stabilizing the craft when required.

A further object of the invention is a mounting for a rotor normally disposed in a horizontal plane, said mounting being slidable and. tiltable on a mast erected in a craft, said mounting being rotatable through a predetermined angle around the mast and at the will of the operator.

Another object of the invention is to minimize the amount of gear andavoid the multiplicity of operative elements required to control the apparatus as well asto reduce hazards incident to the operation, the shifting of the rotor from a horizontal to a vertical, the rotation as well as the sliding of the mounting for the rotor being controlled by cables associated with a mast erected on a craft.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a slidable and tiltable mounting for a rotor at the top of a mast in which an axle for the revolving rotor is carried outwardly from the vertical axis of the mast so that when the mounting is tilted, the rotor and mounting may be lowered to the deck of the craft when desired,

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view in elevation of a water craft equipped with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation and partly in section of a mast showing the invention applied thereto, and

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view in eleva tion similar to the View shown in Figure 2, but at right angles thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I designates a water craft from which rises a mast The upper free end l2 of -said mast is round and through which is formed a groove l3.

thereof. The upper end of said sleeve has an.

annular flange 22 which is adapted to engage diametrically disposed stops 23 projecting from the mast for limiting the upper movement of said sleeve.

A second sleeve 24 is also slidable on the mast but below the sleeve with the upper end of the sleeve 24 normally in engagement with the under face of the pulley 2| attached to the lower end of the sleeve 20. A set screw 25 is threaded into an opening in the lower end of the sleeve 24 with the inner end of said screw disposed in the vertical groove IS in the mast. Said screw is adapted to hold the sleeve 24 in a predetermined position along the mast.

A collar is secured to the upper end of the sleeve 24 and is in normal engagement with the pulley 2|, The collar has an extension 3|. Grooved pulleys 32 are mounted on axles 33 projecting from the sides of the extension 3|.

A cable 34 has one end secured at 35 to the upper end of the sleeve 24 (Fig. 2). A portion of the cable is located in the groove M of the mast and passes through an opening in the wall of the sleeve 24 where it is connected to said sleeve. The cable extends over the mast and is trained in the curved groove l3 and then downwardly in the groove IS. The lower free end of said cable emerges through a slot 36 formed in the sleeve 24 directly above the set screw 25. The lower end of the emerged cable is secured to a bolt or stay 31 (Figure 1). w

A cable 40 is trained on the pulley 2|, the pulleys 32 and a grooved pulley 4| (Figure 1) which is mounted on an axle 42 carried by the lower end of the mast A hand wheel 43 is attached to the pulley 42 for rotating said pulley and operating the cable 40 to cause the sleeve 20 to rotate the mast, for a purpose which will be presently explained.

An elongated bracket 45 is secured to the exterior of the upper sleeve 20 and is located in a vertical plane. A head 46 is pivoted at 46-a in the upper end ofthe bracket and an'axle 41 extends upwardly therefrom.

A channel bar 48 is disposed horizontally above the head 46and has an Opening through which the axle 41 passes. The channel bar at this point is secured to the axle and the portion of said axle which is located in the channel bar is flat.

A brake drum 50 has a central passage which is received by the axle 41. The drum is seated on a washer 5! which rests on the bar 48.

A hub 52 of a rotor generally indicated by the numeral 53 which includes the airfoils 53a, is rigid with the drum 50. A nut 54 threaded on the u pdr f ree eng oi the axle 4! ho lds thehub on said axle fA pin ,55 retains the-nut in place.

A brake baricl 56 of a conventional type has one end secured to a bar 51 which in turn is at-. tached to one end of the channel bar 48. The

other end of said band is connected by aali lk 5.

to one end of a lever 59 pivoted intermediate its end at 60 on the forward end of the channel bar A cable 6| has one end secured to the other end of the lever 59 and is passed throughan eye 62 mounted on one face of the bracket 45. The lowergend-pf.. saidhcahle is carried to a securing means63 onithecraft Ills.

Ada m ,5;has one end. insertedi to th inne end 66 oi:theech n elobarfill .W re. said ,e is

.. t operation. of the a parat s. i as follows: neiot r. sa ad support incl ding the chan- I .f e, ;ised,.or.lo'weredbythe sleeves Zil ancl' ,Z{4 when the ortio'rl of .the cable 3,4, in the amoral-5. sdrawn d wnwar y or. ie as d. The rotor may be raised or lowerd inanyorthe tilted pos tionssho r i do ted, gs i ur The set screw 25 aids in retail ng the sleeve 24 in p ticri-,.. l .T .ca le]qwhedecu ed ainst lip la d 1 tain's the cbanne ..,b r.i & nd hea io lsinliorio a; Po n and in t e w th. man op r tir po i W n t ab e i r l a ed th bar 48 and rot 'ilL tilt or i'ncline tp the dotted line ,s hown in Figiire 1 when the cable ll is" a d w wa d h he rtrqr therotor 53 including the bar #8 a d heads tbe. rq i em ad h mast by operating the handwheel 43in either direction Thecable 49 causes the groovedpulley 2 and the sleeve 20'to rotate when the wheel 431's operated. v

The set screw- 25 riding in the groove li5in the mast maintains the sleeve 24 against rotation.

, With the rewr te shown horizontally in full lines in Figure l, rotation of the rotor will have a gyroscopic efiect tending to stabilize the craft I0. At this time the rotor will not act as a propulsion medium. However, i' aried propulsion may be obtained by changing the plane of rotation of the rotor from the horizontal toeangul'ar positions up to 90 degrees when the plane of rotation will be in a vertical plane. Varied directional propulsion result'ants may be developed by revolving the sleeve 20 on the mast ILfor changing the position ofthe axis of the axle 4! in an arc of a circle which has as its center theyertical axis of the mast .ll around which the axle, whether Vertically disposed or at an angle to said vertical axis, travels,

When the sleeve 20 is rotated for varying the position of the axle 41 along a partial orbit, an adjustment must be made for the cable 6| controlling the brake band 56. No adjustment need be made for said cable when the rotor and its supporting elements are lowered unless it is desired to retain the rotor against rotation.

The cable or belt 40 will become slack when tl ie sleeves lil and 24 are loweredand the pulley 2| approachesthe hand wheelfiB, However, the set screw 25 riding in the groove IE will hold the sleeve 24 against rotation.

The cables 10 and II will tend to become slack, likewise. These cables must be released to permitthe rotor to move automatically from the horizontal plane to the vertical when the rotor is lowered by, the manipulation of the cable 34 which maintains the sleeves in elevated positions. When the rotor is horizontally positioned, the channel bar 48 has its inner end 66 positioned directly. over the top, of the mast. andrests thereon. The top of, the mast forces the. inner ,end. .of the channel bar upwardly when; the'rotor and the supporting elementsarelowered... I l i In view of the jactthat the. r,otor -53-,,must ,be otconsiderable len th, in order to obtain. the necessary sailarea, it, may be found desirablexto have the airfoils 53,a of, a ,foldable construction, and in order that thismay be obtalnednthe aero, f ils ay be formed in, two par s, hin edto eth r as at 53-b and any suitable.latchdevicetfljc being employed to hold the foil in. rigid relation.

Y lt h. a pre rr d an ..p a tica1.;em .odi ment of the inventionisdisclosed. herein, it; is to be, understood that, ,various modificationamay be made that come within the, scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

In an appa at sof he-character described, a mast, a, sleeve slidably inountedJonsaid. ,mast, a mounting vf ra rotor secured.ezteriorlytousaid sleeve and including, a ,rockable, head, an: axle for he rot proje ng ra ially upwa d item. the head, a horizontally'disposed bar on theheadand secured midway of.its ends to, the shaft and meltably with said head, said rotor vbein'g in-a hori: zontal plane. parallel to. the-bar and, tiltableto various angles from the horizontal to a. vertical plane parallel with the axis. ofnthe mast, means for retaining the, rotor in a horizontal planeand causing tilting of said rotor, and means .fOILSlld". ing the sleeve and the mounting vertically along themast. H

2. In an apparatusof the character described, a mast, a rotor normallysupported ina hori on: tal plane above said mast,v a sleeve, .slidably mounted on themast, avertical axle iorthe ro.- tor having the lower end ,rockabl mounted, on the exterior of the sleeve, means, connQQtedwith the axle for adlustably positioning.- Saidgaxlela't angles to the vertical and for tiltin ,the.rotor from the horizontal, and means for sliding. the sleeve vertically on the mast whenithel rot0r has been tilted to approximatelyayerticali planet? 3. In an apparatus of. the character described, a mast, a rotor, normally supportedin' a horizontal plane above saidmast a.sleeveslidablyimount ed on the mast, a vertical axle forv the rotorhaving the. lower end roekablyv mounted on.. the.'xterior. of the. sleeve, means'connectedwith the axle for 'adjustably positioning'saidv .axleat, 1am. gles t0 the .Vertical'and for .tiltingntheclrotor from the .horizontal, said sleeve .having.,.lim'ited rotation on; the mast, means foncausing rotation of the sleeve for varying the angular position of the axle in a semicircular orbitaround the vertical axis of the mast, and means for sliding the sleeve vertically on the mast when the rotor has been tilted to approximately a vertical plane.

4. In an apparatus of the character described,

a mast rising vertically from a craft, a sleeve ro-- tatable and slidable on said mast, a vertically disposed bracket secured to the sleeve, a head rockably mounted in the upper end of the bracket, an axle rising vertically from the head, a horizontal-1y disposed rotor on the axle, means for tilting the axle from the vertical to a horizontal position and for retaining said axlein various angular positions with respect to the vertical, and means for lowering the sleeve, axle and rotor When said axle is approximately in a horizontal position. i

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a mast rising vertically from a craft, a sleeve rotatable and slidable on said mast, a vertically disposed bracket secured to the sleeve, a head rockably mounted in the upper end of the bracket, an axle rising vertically from the head, a horizontally disposed rotor on the axle, means for rotating the sleeve when the rotor is horizontally positioned for revolving the axle in a semi-circular orbit around the vertical axis of the mast, means for tilting the axle from the vertical to a horizontal and for retaining said axle in various angular positions with respect to the vertical, and means for lowering the sleeve, the axle and. rotor when said axle is approximately in a horizontal position.

6. In an apparatus of the character described,

'a mast rising vertically from a craft, a sleeve slidable on the mast, a rotor mounting secured to the sleeve and including a vertical axle pivoted at one end on the sleeve and tiltable therefrom, a rotor On the axle and disposed normally in a horizontal plane above the mast, means controlling the tilting of said axle and for stabilizing the position of the axle and rotor, said mast having a groove in the top, said groove extending downwardly in the mast at diametrically opposite points, a second sleeve on the mast below the first sleeve, means carried by the last named sleeve and projecting in the groove for preventing rotation of the sleeve, and a cable in the groove between the mast and the sleeves, one end of the cable having connection with the second sleeve, the other end of the cable having connections with the lower end of the mast so that when the last mentioned end is released the sleeve and rotor may be lowered.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a mast rising vertically from a craft, a sleeve slidable 0n the mast, a rotor mounting secured to the sleeve and including a vertical axle pivoted at one end on the sleeve and tiltable therefrom, a rotor on the axle and disposed normally in a horizontal plane above the mast, means for controllin the tilting of said axle and for stabilizing the position of the axle and rotor, said mast having a groove in the top, said groove extending downwardly in the mast at diametrically opposite points, and a cable having connections with the sleeve, the other end of the cable having connections with the lower end of the mast so that when the last mentioned end is released the sleeve and rotor may be lowered.

8. In an apparatus of the character described,

a mast, a sleeve adapted to be rotated on said mast, a grooved pulley secured to and embracing the sleeve, a vertical axle carried outwardly of and by the sleeve, a rotor on the axle and disposed in a horizontal plane above the mast, a cable trained on the pulley for rotating the pulley, and the sleeve on the mast and for revolving the axle in a semi-circular orbit about the vertical axis of the mast, and means for causing actuation of the cable.

HORACE M. DOBBINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,319,999 Jennings May 25, 1943 2,408.412 Dobbins Oct. 1, 1946 

